A 42-year-old man has been shot dead in a suspected gangland shooting in Wollert, Melbourne, after a gunman allegedly threatened two passers-by who stumbled across the ambush.
Ali Albadri was attacked outside his home on Gypsum Drive at about 5.30pm on Thursday. The two men were walking through the area when they unexpectedly encountered the gunman, who had reportedly been waiting for his target.
Police said the men were forced to run for their lives after the weapon was turned on them. The gunman then entered Mr Albadri’s home and shot him before fleeing to a waiting vehicle.
His wife and children arrived moments later and found him dead. A neighbour said the children initially believed the incident was a prank before the family’s screams and crying rang out in the street.
“This sort of criminal activity is just abhorrent,” Detective Acting Inspector Paul Scarlett, from the Homicide Squad, said.
Investigators are examining possible links to organised crime. Mr Albadri is understood to have been a high-ranking figure in Kaz Hamad’s Commission tobacco syndicate, although police said they had no information indicating he was at risk.
“We are looking at possible links to organised crime and I can’t say that it’s limited to Victoria,” Detective Acting Inspector Scarlett said.
The syndicate has been linked to a series of firebombing attacks in Melbourne and is suspected of involvement in a drive-by shooting in Caroline Springs earlier this week. It has also been linked to the ambush killings of Sam “the Punisher” Abdulrahim and Athan Boursinos.
Police believe the gunman may have been parked outside Mr Albadri’s home for as long as five hours. The vehicle has been seized for forensic examination, while detectives are investigating whether accomplices were involved.
A silver Toyota Corolla seen driving past the property before the shooting is believed to have been used as the getaway car. CCTV captured what police believe was the killer’s final departure from the scene.
Police are on alert for possible retaliation as they continue searching for those responsible. “The homicide squad will do all that we can to bring that person or those people before the courts,” Detective Acting Inspector Scarlett said.
